Walking home after running errands, I was accosted by a guy from Environment Illinois. Usually people want me to sign petitions, which I can't actually do, since I am not a full-fledged resident of Illinois. This guy just wanted some time. And apparently a monthly pledge. The group supports alternative energy sources and advocacy. I completely support renewable resources and eco-responsibility. However, I wasn't really ready to commit to a monthly pledge. Time and energy I will cheerfully offer. Money is just not something I have to offer right now.
Chicago is a little weird about ecology. The city is pretty well-educated and liberal, but they don't have a practical recycling option. "Blue bags" are not effective. Individuals have to procure these special bags, then maintain their own recycling (limited what they even recycle) and put the blue bags in with your trash. So after all the effort and mess, you just have to hope that the contents are actually being recycled. Then the city wonders why recycling efforts are so low in residential areas.
It just kills me to throw away perfectly good materials, like cans, plastics, glass and paper. I still horder plastic bags out of habit. (And will probably end up schlepping them back to VA to recycle, because I can't bear to pitch them.)
The City Council has proposed giving residents buckets to collect recyclables, which is very successful in the suburbs. I'm still waiting.
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